iKnow

Sugar tugged on Mother’s expensive rubber cardigan. “Mom, look.” The young child pointed at a small square piece of thick glass lying on a table with what looked like veins running through it. Mother turned from her shopping cart and searched for a description of the product. The glass glowed a bright white, completely diminishing its previously see-through state. A hologram flickered a light the color of a midnight black and a Flatino woman appeared hovering above the slab. She wore a white long sleeve romper. A shiny gold belt hugged her midsection as if it were holding her body upright. Her long straight white hair tugged at the back of her scalp where nothing was visibly holding up her ponytail. Hello. Her monochromatic voice echoed within the small triangle of females, contradicting her human figure. My name is iKnow. It is now the year 2060, and many things have changed in recent decades. In the U.S. alone, new races have dominated the Caucasians, who now merely make up 43 percent of the nation’s population. WWIII has prompted government officials to terminate complete access to the internet since the conclusion of the war and final destruction of the terrorist group known as ISIS in 2025. Apple products, Google services, and social medias that had played such an important role in many lives, had managed to survive just five weeks subsequent on no internet before consumer levels dropped dramatically, forcing the well-established companies and their competitors into bankruptcy. The small holographic woman paused in her speech and turned to look Mother in the eye. Mother covered her mouth with her hand. But, soon that will all change. Would you like to know? Mother looked at Sugar with wide eyes. Before Mother could refuse, Sugar looked at the hologram and nodded firmly. The woman delayed no longer than a second to continue according to the youth’s interactive response. Very well. Since the beginning of time, many have wondered, “What will happen next?” Seeing something that’s never been seen before is the one and only motivating factor for all mankind’s desires. It’s been history’s backbone and will continue to be the future’s mystery. In exactly one minute and forty-three seconds, breaking news will give a surprise announcement of three astronauts beginning a nine and a half year-long journey in space to reach Pluto. Why is that? Because the images sent by the space robots were too blurry? Or maybe landing on the moon wasn’t satisfying enough. Or what if they finally found another planet that can sustain life. Oh, how humans can’t stand not knowing what’s on the other side. Well, that leaves only one question left… How far will we go to attain such satisfactions? I know how far I would go. It seemed as if only time had been clicking in their heads as something they couldn’t comprehend began its transformation. One second, the woman seemed pre-recorded, fake. Now, the same figure stood but three feet away on the same floor. “This seemingly useless block of glass, is more expansive than space travel, more powerful than ISIS, bigger than Google, faster than the internet, and as knowledgeable as God. See, now you don’t have to go far to get the answers that people spend lifetimes finding.” The woman handed the glass to Mother.

~~~

It is now time for Breaking News! with Tom Sawyer the second. “Live now at four o’clock, NASA announced a surprise mission to Pluto, sending three of their most experienced astronauts and enough supplies to last them nineteen years. Yes, that’s right, the mission will take nine and a half years travel time one way. The space agency released a statement saying, and I quote, “... The thirty years it took to plan this mission has given us more than enough confidence that we can safely transport these three adequately trained individuals on a nineteen year-long expedition.” The agency later told press that their ultimate goal is to discover any undeniable evidence that would lead to a possibility of life on Pluto. I bet the world’s going, “What’s gonna happen next?!” A laugh slipped out of the anchorman’s mouth as he held his hands up for exaggeration.

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